In the early morning hours of June 13, 1969, the life of Clarence Smith, a 41-year-old Black/African American man also known as Clarence 13X, was cut short by violence. Smith was in the lobby of his girlfriend's apartment building in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan when he was fatally shot. The specific details of what led to the shooting in the lobby of the Martin Luther King Jr.
Towers housing projects remain shrouded in mystery.
Clarence Smith was a significant figure in his community as the founder of the Five-Percent Nation, a movement that originated from the Nation of Islam. He had established the Allah School in Harlem and was an influential voice in the area. His sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through the community he had helped to shape.
Despite the impact of his killing, the investigation into the death of Clarence Smith has never resulted in an arrest or the identification of any suspects. The case has grown cold over the decades, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions and fueling various theories about the motive and the identity of his assailant. To this day, the murder of Clarence 13X remains an unsolved crime, a stark and unresolved final chapter in the life of a prominent and controversial figure.
